About 80 species: tropical and subtropical Africa, America, Asia, and Australia; 7 species in China.

Chionanthus and Linociera were treated as independent genera in FRPS. Although Chionanthus species are evergreen and pantropical and those of Linociera are deciduous and grow in temperature E Asia and North America, the two genera are indistinguishable morphologically and are best treated as one. Chionanthus caudatus (Collett & Hemsley) Bahadur & Gaur has been recorded near the border in Myanmar but not, so far, from China. It would key out at C.ramiflorus in the following key, but would be distinguished by its oblong-elliptic leaf blades with caudate-acuminate apices and petioles 7-10 mm.